Frederic is in charge of accessibility for people with reduced mobility at the OIB (the European Commission's office for infrastructure and logistics). Frederic is blind and has been working for the EU institutions since 1998.
We asked him what kind of special arrangements were provided to him at his job.

"Computer equipped with speech synthesis software (JAWS), Braille keyboard. When I arrived, DG Research & Innovation offered me more than what I really needed, it was very impressive and great as a welcome. My first experience was great. Afterwards, during my mobility it was less obvious, but I always knew how to have what I needed by being patient."

Frederic also shares that his disability is not an obstacle within his team.

"The handicap is an advantage here! I present it in a joyful way. I do not give the impression of dragging all the misery of the world behind me. And because I have a dog, it helps, it is the mascot."

I joined the European Commission after seven years in a trade union federation, where I organised conferences and worked in administrative support. I started in the Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition; where I was first a case secretary in merger procedures and after six months, I became the secretary to the Director of the Mergers department.

I am currently an assistant for both the Mergers and Antitrust sections of the Directorate-General for Competition. I coordinate administrative tasks, organise events and network with over 500 colleagues in a workplace that is very dynamic and challenging, but also very human and fun!